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Kathleen Kennedy Townsend bought this Cape Cod house minutes from the Kennedy compound to host her family. “I had a dream that I would recreate the … wonderful youth that I had.”
The house at 189 Breakwater Shores Drive in Hyannis belongs to Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. She’s selling it for $1.6 million. Nauset Media
May 12, 2026 | 7:00 AM
5 minutes to read
189 Breakwater Shores Drive, Hyannis
$1.595 million
Style Split entry
Year built 1966
Square feet 3,165
Bedrooms 5
Baths 4 full, 1 half
Sewer/Water Public
Taxes $12,042 (2026)
The house at 189 Breakwater Shores Drive in Hyannis has a horseshoe-shaped driveway leading to the front door. – Nauset Media
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend had a vision.
“I had a dream that I would recreate the youth, the wonderful youth that I had, for my children and grandchildren, so they could come to the Cape; they could sail, they could walk on breakwater, go on the beach, have picnics, be with their cousins and aunts and uncles, and it would be, you know, wonderful summers,” said the eldest daughter of the late Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy and sister of US Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.
About four years ago, she purchased this split-entry raised ranch — six minutes by bicycle from the famed family compound — and updated and expanded the home.
“I wanted it to be a place where you could have a number of people enjoy themselves and use the beach and be in a safe place,” she said.
The property includes deeded beach rights and a private entrance to a sandy beach on Nantucket Sound.
The property includes deeded beach rights and a private entrance to a sandy beach on Nantucket Sound. – Nauset Media
The private access point to the beach. – Nauset Media
“I put in a big bathtub downstairs; a bathtub is good for adults to luxuriate in, and if you need to wash your children, it was big enough to put two or three kids in,” Kennedy Townsend added.
But her extended family has not been drawn to the Cape like she was, and now Kennedy Townsend is selling the renovated home near Circo Pond (a favorite spot for local swans).
“I had this wonderful dream,” said the former Maryland lieutenant governor. “But not all dreams work, right?”
A walkway at the peak of a horseshoe-shaped driveway leads to the front door concealed underneath a 36-square-foot portico with columns. The foyer has a split stairwell with stairways down and up.
The living room has a gas fireplace framed by a white wooden mantle. – Nauset Media
The living room flows into the dining area. – Nauset Media
Heading up, the stairs lead to a hallway with bedrooms to the right and the gathering areas to the left. The 286-square-foot living room stretches across the front of the home, and five plate-glass windows grouped together. At the end is a gas fireplace framed by a white wooden mantel. Refinished oak flooring is used throughout this level.
The kitchen leads to a dining area and slider to the back deck. – Nauset Media
The kitchen has two levels of cabinets, painted white, with sandstone tile as the backsplash. – Nauset Media
A wide doorway opens to a combined dining and kitchen area, a joining confirmed by the use of square tiles on the floor. The 141-square-foot dining area is nestled in a three-window bump-out.
More sunlight arrives through clear glass sliders leading to the 305-square-foot rear deck overlooking the backyard with what Kennedy Townsend described as a “garden with flowers so you can feel comfortable,” along with a fire pit.
The backyard has a deck and two patios, one with a fire pit. – Nauset Media
Hydrangeas bloom in the summer. – Nauset Media
About 120 square feet is set aside for the kitchen, which is currently outfitted with a rectangular table that has seating for eight. There are two levels of kitchen cabinets, painted white, with sandstone tile as the backsplash. The stainless steel sink is located under a window with views of the backyard. The range is electric, and the appliances are a mix of stainless steel and white.
The bathroom on the main level has nautical wallpaper. – Nauset Media
Returning to the front hallway, the first private space is an 88-square-foot bathroom on the left side of the home. The flooring is blue-and-white checkered tile. The walls have Nantucket beadboard on the lower half and wallpaper with blueprints of sailboats on the top. A white single vanity is on the right, and on the left is a separate storage cabinet. A small alcove hosts a clawfoot bathtub with a curtained shower.
An illustration of the White House lawn hangs above one of the beds. – Nauset Media
Continuing down the hallway, there are closets on each side before reaching the two bedrooms on this level. The larger of the two, 195 square feet, has three double-hung windows on two walls and a double-doored closet. The smaller, 133 square feet, is on the front of the house and also has three double-hung windows.
One of the upstairs bedrooms. – Nauset Media
Take the stairway to the top floor, where the primary suite, two other bedrooms, and another full bathroom are located. The primary bedroom is among the largest rooms in the house at 265 square feet. It has double-hung windows on two walls and two closets. The floor is the same oak as the living room.
The primary bathroom. – Nauset Media
The 27-square-foot primary bath has a white pedestal sink, a large double-hung window, and sand-colored tile on the walls and as the backsplash for the shower.
The secondary bath, off the hallway, is 54 square feet. It has a shower behind a curtain; the shower backsplash and the lower half of the walls are square blue tile. There is a white pedestal sink, a single window, and flooring of mosaic tiles in varying shades of blue.
The secondary bedrooms occupy the remainder of the left side of the home. The larger of the two, at 217 square feet, has a 31-square-foot walk-in closet. The smaller is 122 square feet with two windows at the rear with nice views.
The final level is part of the renovations pursued by Kennedy Townsend. It includes the 44-square-foot bathroom, which has a curtained rectangular tub with a sandstone colored tile backsplash and a single vanity.
The lower level is set up as a living and sleeping area. – Nauset Media
The bathroom and stairwell bisect this level into two rooms with potential use as bedrooms, family rooms, or gathering places. The bonus room on the left side of the home has a fireplace (the new owner must check its functionality) inset in a white brick wall. The rooms have abundant natural light through above-ground windows. The laundry area is also on this level. The lower level is a total of 934 square feet.
Heating is by natural gas, and there is a tankless water heater.
“For a family that lives in Boston or Providence, or any place close, it’s just ideal,” said Kennedy Townsend.
Kathy E. O’Neil of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.
Send listings to [email protected]. Please note: We may not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at Boston.com/address-newsletter. John R. Ellement can be reached at [email protected].
